Combining two of SilverStone's most distinctive computer chassis breakthroughs - the unibody construction of the Temjin TJ07, introduced in 2005, and the 90-degrees rotated motherboard mount of the RAVEN RV01 from 2008 - the Fortress FT02 advances both chassis construction and thermodynamics in a dynamic, streamlined design. With the Fortress FT02, SilverStone engineers have combined the rigidity of unibody construction with the unparalleled cooling layout of the RAVEN chassis, adding a hot-swappable hard drive cage and an acoustically padded interior for maximum versatility. The result is increased structural strength, increased storage capacity, and whisper-quiet operation. Available in black and silver colors, its elegant outer shell is perfectly accentuated by the U-shaped unibody aluminum frame that not only provides unique styling, but also functional purpose. The bottom gap from the frame to the main body actually serves as the main air intake area for its three massive 180mm fans, making it even suitable for use on carpeted surfaces. For professionals and enthusiasts looking to build a silent workstation or gaming machine with maximum performance, there is no better than the SilverStone Fortress FT02.

Q. I have a custom cooler, how do I know which way the heat pipes should be situated to obtain the best performance in the FT02?

A: There are two main types of heat pipes used in popular aftermarket coolers, they are groove and powder. Groove heat pipes are very susceptible to gravity while powder heat pipes are less so. To achieve best performance in either heat pipe technology, they need to be placed horizontally or have the heat source side located below the other end of the heat pipe. We recommend choosing and installing components with heat pipes carefully by taking into consideration of the following examples:

Motherboard:
The orientation of an enthusiast motherboard in a normal ATX case

The orientation of an enthusiast motherboard in the FT02

As the illustrations above show, most enthusiast motherboards with heat pipes will work fine in the FT02, the heat source is located below other parts of the heat pipe.
CPU cooler:
Horizontal style cooler

Good orientationGood orientationBad orientation

Many CPU coolers can be rotated when installing on motherboards, the illustration here shows a SilverStone NT06-E

VGA cooler

The illustration here shows a VGA cooler that will not work well in the FT02 because the heat source side (touching the GPU) ends up being located higher than the other end.

Q. USB 3.0 Cable Upgrade Guide.

A:

1. Use both hands to remove top cover gently.

2. First, loosen two screws located on the top-front cover.
Then push top-front cover in the direction as shown gently and finally pull up to detach the top-front cover.

3. Flip top-front cover over to loosen two screws near front I/O module and detach it gently.